Rising petrochemical prices and interest in reducing CO2 emissions have prompted the development of bio-based chemical production. As one example, succinate is an important platform chemical for the production of various high value-added derivatives such as 1,4-butanediol, ethylene diamine disuccinate, and adipic acid. Currently, succinate can be produced from either petrochemical synthesis or microbial fermentation, the latter process having a cost that could compete favorably with petrochemical production in the future. For bio-based succinic acid production, looking for the inexpensive feedstocks and optimization of the pretreatment process are important challenges in reducing the cost of the succinic acid production. Biological pretreatment methods, such as enzyme hydrolysis, have replaced the traditional acid hydrolysis due to the mild conditions, fewer by-products, and lack of corrosion issues. However, there remain many challenges and an unmet need in the art for more effective and cost-efficient methods of enzyme hydrolysis.